I’m afraid I might have infected my husband
May 10, 2009
ALL measures taken to prevent HIV transmission in a discordant relationship are used to reduce the risk but cannot eliminate it completely except if you choose to abstain from sex, which is not practical in marriage. <br>
Face HIV with Dr Watiti
Dear doctor,
I am in a discordant relationship. I am HIV-positive while my husband is HIV-negative. I am not yet on ARVs because my CD4 count is still high. We use condoms always but recently a condom burst and I am so scared my husband may have got infected. I am told circumcision could have helped in such a case but my husband is uncircumcised. Is this true? Are there any other measures we can take apart from condom use to protect my husband?
Goretti
Dear Goretti,
ALL measures taken to prevent HIV transmission in a discordant relationship are used to reduce the risk but cannot eliminate it completely except if you choose to abstain from sex, which is not practical in marriage.
However, since your husband knows your HIV status and you are in this relationship by mutual agreement, you need not feel guilty.
Circumcision would certainly help in such cases because by removing the foreskin, the surface area where HIV would find receptors onto which to attach itself would be reduced.
Secondly, the foreskin carries the Langerhans cells which are rich in receptors onto which HIV attaches and so gains access to the blood stream of the person being infected.
Another thing you could do to reduce the risk of HIV transmission is to check your viral load and if it is high, get started on ARVs even if your CD4 count may be still high, because people who have a low viral load like those on ART with maximal viral suppression are not as infective as those with a high viral load.
Lastly, the two of you need to go for regular supportive counselling and HIV testing so that you keep updating his status instead of living in fear.
Dear doctor,
I am in a discordant relationship. I am HIV-positive while my husband is HIV-negative. I am not yet on ARVs because my CD4 count is still high. We use condoms always but recently a condom burst and I am so scared my husband may have got infected. I am told circumcision could have helped in such a case but my husband is uncircumcised. Is this true? Are there any other measures we can take apart from condom use to protect my husband?
Goretti
Dear Goretti,
ALL measures taken to prevent HIV transmission in a discordant relationship are used to reduce the risk but cannot eliminate it completely except if you choose to abstain from sex, which is not practical in marriage.
However, since your husband knows your HIV status and you are in this relationship by mutual agreement, you need not feel guilty.
Circumcision would certainly help in such cases because by removing the foreskin, the surface area where HIV would find receptors onto which to attach itself would be reduced.
Secondly, the foreskin carries the Langerhans cells which are rich in receptors onto which HIV attaches and so gains access to the blood stream of the person being infected.
Another thing you could do to reduce the risk of HIV transmission is to check your viral load and if it is high, get started on ARVs even if your CD4 count may be still high, because people who have a low viral load like those on ART with maximal viral suppression are not as infective as those with a high viral load.
Lastly, the two of you need to go for regular supportive counselling and HIV testing so that you keep updating his status instead of living in fear.